Samsung Galaxy XR is here! It costs significantly less than Apple Vision Pro and surpasses it in some respects

Samsung has just unveiled the Galaxy XR – the first headset built on the Android XR platform, developed in collaboration with Google and Qualcomm. The device is priced at $1,800 (CZK 37,500 excluding tax), which is about half of what Apple charges for the Vision Pro. On paper, the Samsung Galaxy XR looks like a logical choice for those who want to experience mixed reality without selling a kidney. In practice, however, the situation is much more complicated. And most importantly, it won’t be sold in Europe yet.

Half the Price, But the Same Questions

The Galaxy XR is available from October 22 in the USA and South Korea; Czech and European availability has not yet been confirmed. Samsung offers a bonus package worth over CZK 20,000 with it, which at first glance seems generous. It includes subscriptions to Google AI Pro, YouTube Premium, Google Play Pass, NBA League Pass, and several exclusive XR applications.

The headset itself weighs 545 grams (without the external battery pack, which adds another 302 grams). This is less than the Vision Pro, which starts at 600 grams. Samsung claims that the design evenly distributes pressure on the forehead and back of the head, ensuring comfort even during extended wear. The battery lasts only 2 hours of normal use, and 2.5 hours when watching videos.

Hardware That Doesn’t Disappoint

Samsung has implemented micro-OLED displays with a resolution of 3,552 × 3,840 pixels per eye, totaling 27 megapixels. That’s 4 million more than the Vision Pro. The displays cover 96% of the DCI-P3 color space and offer a field of view of 109° horizontally and 100° vertically. The refresh rate is set to 72 Hz by default, with the option to switch to 60 Hz or 90 Hz. The Vision Pro leads in this regard with a maximum of 120 Hz (for the new generation with the M5 chip; the first generation supports 100 Hz).

Inside, the Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 is at work, a chipset designed specifically for XR devices with support for 12ms full-color passthrough video. The Galaxy XR also features 16 GB RAM and 256GB storage. In terms of hardware, Samsung did not disappoint – eye, hand, and spatial tracking sensors are deployed in sufficient numbers (four cameras for eye-tracking, six for spatial tracking, two for passthrough).

Android XR and the Ubiquitous Gemini

Android XR is a new platform built from the ground up with an emphasis on multimodal AI. Google has integrated its Gemini at a system level, so the assistant sees what you see, hears what you hear, and responds according to context. In theory, it sounds great. In practice? Samsung demonstrated how to find the best pizzeria nearby using the headset – through Gemini and 3D Google Maps.

The problem is that no normal person would put on a headset for this. Take out your phone, type a query, and you have a result in a few seconds. Why would you put 545 grams of electronics on your head just for pizza? Other demos had similar outcomes – for example, virtual restaurant tours via Google Maps look impressive, but their practical use is minimal.

Much more interesting is the automatic spatialization of 2D videos. Android XR can convert any video from YouTube or other services into a 3D format with depth, which, according to initial impressions, works surprisingly well. Samsung has also added the ability to watch up to four sports broadcasts simultaneously in YouTube’s spatial multi-view section. This is where the headset starts to make sense.

What Will You Do With It?

Samsung emphasizes that all Google Play applications work on the Galaxy XR right out of the box. Developers can use OpenXR, WebXR, or Unity to create new XR experiences. Games like NFL Pro Era or Inside [JOB] from Owlchemy Labs, known for Job Simulator, are available. Adobe has added Project Pulsar, an XR video editor for editing videos with 3D depth.

The headset supports Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4; you can connect a keyboard, mouse, or game controller to it (sold for an additional CZK 6,000). Theoretically, you can work in it – you have virtual displays, multitasking with the ability to open several windows at once, and you can even connect the headset to a PC for PCVR support.

Enterprise Makes More Sense Than Entertainment

More interesting uses are emerging in the corporate sector. Samsung is collaborating with Samsung Heavy Industries on virtual training for shipbuilding, and Qualcomm is adding Snapdragon Spaces support for enterprise applications. The Galaxy XR can be useful for education, simulations, design, or remote collaboration.

Samsung also confirmed work on AI glasses in collaboration with Warby Parker and Gentle Monster. These are expected to arrive in 2026 and will be part of the Android XR ecosystem. It is glasses – not heavy headsets – that are the future people are waiting for.

Is It Worth the Money?

The Galaxy XR is not a bad headset. The hardware is solid, the displays are sharp, and the software has potential. The problem is that no one has yet managed to convince the masses that mixed reality is something they need. Apple couldn’t do it even with its premium-crafted Vision Pro, and Samsung probably won’t overcome that with a cheaper variant either.

If you’re an early adopter who loves new technologies and enjoys experimenting, the Galaxy XR might be an interesting gadget. If you’re looking for a device that will change the way you work or play, you’d better wait for AI glasses or the next generation.

What do you think of Samsung’s first headset?

Source: Samsung, GSMArena, XDA Developers